The defending champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut lost their crown with a 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 loss to Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares on the Grandstand court at the US Open.
Murray/Soares grab the late, important break; wins the opening set
The match didn't get off to a fast start. Four holds of serve brought the game to 2-2. A forehand return from Bruno Soares presented him and Murray with the first break of the match at 15-40. However, two good serves from Herbert and the scores was level at deuce. The French pair then won the next two points to hold serve and go 2-3 up.
From then on in both teams began to hold their serves and with the score at 5-5, it was the team of Murray and Soares who got the first break. A super return game from Murray allowed them to take the lead and have the chance of serving for the first set. An ace from the Brazilian gave the team their first set point. They won the first set after an overhead smash was put away from Soares. The defending champions had to respond.
Herbert/Mahut respond; levels match
The form team of 2016 found themselves a set behind and up against it as Murray and Soares had read what the French team were going to do. The set only came alive in the eighth game. A great return from Herbert presented the French pair with their first break points of the match, two of them. However, Soares got he and Murray out of trouble with two timely serves.
The world number one team came back at Murray and Soares and after another great return, a third break point arrived. A brave second serve from the Brazilian and a third break point was saved. From then on in, they held for 4-4. Just a game later and with Murray and Soares serving to stay in the match, they were put under pressure. The Brit faltered under serve and a set point went the way of the French pair. Murray gifted the set to the French pair with a double-fault, 4-6.
Murray/Soares end the French pair's title defense
The French pair were the first to gain a break point in this set. Having held to love to get the crucial set underway, a fantastic return from Mahut presented them with a break point opportunity at 30-40. However, Murray and Soares denied them the break and went on to hold for 1-1.
With the score now at 2-2, Herbert threw in a double-fault to give the number four and eight ranked player a double break point chance. However, they only needed one as an excellent return from Soares gave them the crucial break in the set. Murray held his serve to love spectacularly to go 2-4 up on the defending champions.
Two games later, Herbert was given the responsibility of serving and keeping he and Mahut in the championships. Murray and Soares managed to bring the game to 30-30 and after a missed overhead smash from the French team, a match point arrived to the Brit and Brazilian. Herbert's hot and cold serve managed to get the French team out of trouble.
However, after serving him well in the previous point, the Herbert serve collapsed and a double-fault gifted a second match point. Herbert served out wide this time and after Soares failed to return the ball successfully, a second match point came and gone. They would save a third saved before eventually ending Herbert and Mahut's title defense, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.